The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Board of Directors has named Tricia A. Keith as president and CEO-Elect. She will assume her new responsibilities on January 1, 2025, upon the retirement of president and CEO Daniel J. Loepp. Keith will become BCBSM’s first female president and CEO. She currently serves as executive vice president and president of Emerging Markets and added her Chief Operating Officer responsibilities in 2022.
James Avery is the new executive director of Berston Field House. Avery serves as a Genesee County Commissioner and was most recently with the Flint & Genesee Group as the director of talent development.
The Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) recognized Nancy Bartholomew with the Special Thanks and Recognition – STAR award. Bartholomew is the principal for the GISD’s Early Childhood Programs and Services, which supports local school districts by providing special education programs for children ages two-and-a-half years old to eight.
Lottie Ferguson of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint has completed the Executive Leadership Institute’s ELI for VP’s, a year-long program that focuses on community leadership for community foundation vice presidents. Ferguson is part of the ELI for VPs Class of 2023-2024.
Patrick Linihan has become the new director at the Genesee Parks and Recreation Commission. He previously served as the organization’s deputy director.
Danielle Wenzel, deputy director at the Genesee County Human Resources & Labor Relations, received certification in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion from Cornell University.
Explore Flint & Genesee, a division of Flint & Genesee Group, has hired Anthony Sitko as their sports sales manager. Additionally, Terance Green has joined the Flint & Genesee Group’s Economic Alliance team as a small business coordinator. Jake Mengel, formerly with East Michigan APEX Accelerator, has joined the Economic Alliance as a business development manager.
Genesee County Habitat for Humanity recently welcomed Mike Naddeo as its new director of development.
McLaren Flint’s Academic Program Administrator III Nicki Newlin has been appointed as the secretary of the American College of Cardiology’s Fellowship Administrators in Cardiovascular Education/Training Board. Newlin had previously helped establish McLaren Flint’s Interventional Cardiology Fellowship.
Weichert Affiliated Offices in Burton welcomed two new agents to their team: Becky Roth and Lena Toy Pridgeon.
McLaren Medical Group of Grand Blanc has named Dr. Binesh Patel as its CEO. Patel previously served as chief medical officer at McLaren Flint for more than five years. Most recently, Patel served as the chief medical officer and senior medical director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. He will fill a vacant position that had been most recently held in the interim by Chad Grant, executive vice president and COO for McLaren Health Care.
Dr. Tiffany Quinn has received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joseph R. Biden. Quinn is a best-selling author and the administrator for the Flint Social Worker Network, a community of over 700 professionals dedicated to promoting collaboration and advocacy in social work. She also serves on the boards of several organizations, including Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Serenity House.
Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, president of Mott Community College (MCC), has announced her retirement after serving as the college’s seventh president for the past 10 years. She has been named the first-ever “President Emeritus” by the MCC Board of Trustees. Her last day will be May 24, 2024.
The Buckham Gallery is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The gallery has been an integral part of the downtown Flint art community and monthly art walk.
Located at the former Buick City site, the Flint Commerce Center, Phase I, was named the 2024 Sale/Acquisition of the Year CoStar Impact Award winner in the Detroit market. Winners – chosen for their growth, diversification, and ability to overcome unique challenges in their markets – were selected from a panel of more than 660 industry professionals drawn from each respective market.
Mott Community College’s Workforce and Economic Development Division has entered a partnership with MedCerts to enhance Allied Health education. This partnership will allow students the opportunity to become trained and certified as Medical Scribes and EKG technicians. The program will feature a hybrid format that combines coursework with hands-on externships, so they are prepared for success in the healthcare industry.
Prestige Promotions have been selected for digitalundivided’s BREAKTHROUGH Detroit program, which is sponsored by JP Morgan Chase’s “Advancing Black Pathways.” This program is designed for women who are business owners and meet other criteria to qualify. Those businesses selected will receive a $5,000 grant, guidance on how to scale their business, feedback from mentors and advisors, resources for establishing relationships with banks, and access to peers.
The University of Michigan-Flint has been recognized by University HQ (UHQ) in 12 of their top 25 rankings. University HQ is a leading independent online education organization and aids students in researching colleges and universities as well as scholarship and career information. Based on aggregated data from several sources UHQ ranks universities and colleges. Among University of Michigan-Flint’s top 25 rankings were – Most Affordable Programs in Michigan, Best AACSB MBA Programs in Michigan, and Online master’s in international business. The university also received 10 top 50 notices as well.
United Way of Genesee County will receive over $480,000 in federal funding to support their use of AmeriCorps members for the Flint Urban Safety and Health Corps program. This funding will support 24 AmeriCorps members.